It's not voters fault. It's the fault of a media which deliberately spreads misinformation.

Minneapolis won’t be intimidated by Trump’s secret police force. #ICEOutForGood

Being a software developer reading claims about "agentic AI" reminds me a little of being a teenager listening to my friends boasting about all the sex they were having.

Are we *quite* sure it happened in that order?

Big mistake in s/w development is believing the "value" that "flows" is in the software that emerges from our delivery pipeline - the output. The *real* value is in the FEEDBACK that flows /back/ in to future iterations. It's not in what we deliver, it's in what we *learn* from what we deliver.

There's little doubting that the software delivery pipeline - integrate, build, test and deploy - is critical to lead times. So it's surprising just how few developers have the skills to create and evolve delivery pipelines. codemanship.wordpress.com/2026/01/10/w...

If a restaurant served you a perfectly-cooked steal with a cockroach on it, would your feedback be "It was perfectly cooked, but there was a cockroach on it"? Or would you just see the cockroach and conclude the steak's inedible? In case you're wondering what impact bugs have on user feedback.

At this point, why does the press even bother asking him questions?

And a tacit admission that the code in their training data is some distance from real-world production code, which goes some way to explaining why their models crap out on it so often. Real code is out-of-distribution.

The thing that depresses me in the whole AI revolution in my industry (I’m a literary translator and publisher) is that the question is not whether machines can replace human translators, but how will we deal with the fallout after machines are forcibly introduced regardless.

The Norwegian Nobel Prize committee has been forced to make a statement, declaring that the prize cannot be transferred. It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become

There's little doubting that the software delivery pipeline - integrate, build, test and deploy - is critical to lead times. So it's surprising just how few developers have the skills to create and evolve delivery pipelines. codemanship.wordpress.com/2026/01/10/w...

Like a burglar giving a speech as he steals your Oscar

What TF is "Tai Chi Walking" and who TF is bankrolling all these adverts on YouTube?

The value of a software tester increases the earlier in the process you involve them. If you're throwing software over the wall at them and they're asking "What's it supposed to do?"... Well, that's just silly.

We were feet away from the stage. One of our party was overpowered by the dairy-based cocktails (as in to a nearby flower bed - taxi!), so I only met Nancy briefly. One of my favourite vocalists working today in jazz. Sang live via Zoom for my 50th www.youtube.com/watch?v=crsm...

"We'll only let users generate child pornography if they pay us" Okay then, Elmo. That should fix the problem.

While I'm about it, there are multiple @zackpolanski.bsky.social's on Mastodon. Will the real one stand up, please? Wouldn't want to follow a bot.

The reason I joined the Green Party - some years ago now - is because I'd spent my adult life watching mainstream politics taking all the obvious solutions off the table to suit the super-rich (and themselves).

A truly great country would lift people up. It wouldn't act as a bully. Bullying is cowardice. It is weakness. These cruel, petty cowards have to go. Now.

If Machado hsnds over her peace prize to foster peace, Nobel should immediately give her another one. A solid gold one. And call it the "champion of champions peace prize".

When we talk about "AI", it may help to be a bit more specific. If you mean "sausages", don't just say "food".

More and more developers are discovering that Test-Driven Development is highly compatible with "AI"-assisted software engineering. (And a quick reminder that my 2-day TDD training workshop is half-price if you book by Jan 31st. Which is nice.) codemanship.wordpress.com/2026/01/09/w...

"But anything you do say..."

If someone introduced themselves as a "health expert", I'd assume they weren't an actual doctor. Because a doctor would say "I'm a doctor", or "I'm a consultant neurologist" etc. "Health expert" puts me in mind of the people they bring on TV talk shows to argue with actual doctors. See also: "AI"

If your response to "AI" code generation is to bring back BDUF, Waterfall and code-and-fix development... Well, I wish you the very best of luck with that.

What's that? The owner of the fried chicken shop tweeted his diet now consists of 90% fried chicken cooked in his shop, and it's working out just great? No, I don't need to read that peer-reviewed study in the BMJ. This is all the evidence I need! But... just cooked in his shop, right? Cool.

"Agile, and other modern development methods"

Tonight's move is The Abyss Special Edition.

Except when they question Nigel Farage☹️

Couldn't give a clearer green light if they tried.

Simultaneously manually testing software and fixing the bugs it finds is a bit like modifying a list while you're iterating through it. Each "fix" can introduce new bugs (and reintroduce some old favourites). The risk of getting stuck in a non-terminating loop is very real.

"Don't politicise our slide into fascism!"

"world's most powerful quantum computer" is a bit like saying "world's smartest plank" (pun intended)

"Oh, but Jason, we can't just <thing I just do>" Turns out you can.

How can we do continuous testing without a QA team? Well, the first step towards it might be not having a separate QA team.

Yes

I'm looking for the clause in the Online Safety Act that says "unless you're a tech billionaire"

Simultaneously manually testing software and fixing the bugs it finds is a bit like modifying a list while you're iterating through it. Each "fix" can introduce new bugs (and reintroduce some old favourites). The risk of getting stuck in a non-terminating loop is very real.

Pure cope. Join.greenparty.org.uk

Look up X on the App Store, scroll down to Report a Problem and fill out the form with this information.

I've seen the profound impact of continuous testing on lead times and product reliability so many times over the last 30 years that telling me it's all bunk is like telling me Wimbledon doesn't exist. The key to continuous testing is tests that run very fast. and that's a whole can of worms!

Please sign. We’ve had fireworks all week here. Upsetting animals and interrupting sleep. Crazy. 1:00am! Thank you for your help. 🤗

One of the best visual gags of all time

All the staunch advocates of online safety in the UK Parliament acting decisively on this any minute now...

Back in the 80s, The The were a big deal. Or, as they were known in the Northwest of England, "That The".

I am so happy. My Kickstarter, www.jrothman.com/speakingkick... just got a #ProjectWeLove. Woo!

"I get a second LLM to check the first LLM's output, and then I get the first LLM to check the second LLM's corrections." This is a fascinating variation on the Two Guards riddle.

ChatGPT? Is that you?